Demountable rim



- 1,487,404 G. slFKovlTz Mairch 18 19,24.`

DEMOUNTABLE R I M Filed Oct. 16 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. 620962? fir/619107Z `A TTORNEY.

" Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BIFXOVITZ, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE'QUICK CHANGE AUTO RII COIPANY, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN.

DEHOUNTABLE BIH.

Application led ctober 18, 1920., Serial llo. 417,339.

To 'all whom it mail concern.'

' Be it known that I, GEORGE Srrxovrrz, citizen of the United States,/residin at Pontiac, county of Oakland, State of 'chigan,

I have invented a certain new and useful provement in Demountable Rims, and declare-the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, such as will' enable others skilled in the art to which it l0 pertains to make and use the same, reference bein had to the accom anyin drawin, whic form a partof this speci cation. y. invention relates to demountable rims of the collapsible ty adapted tobe easily Il and quickly remove or secured to the supported tire. It is particularly adapted for use with pneumatic tires of automotive vehicles. p

The object is to provide a simple, inexpensive rim ada ted to be easily and uickly removed from t e tire by collapsi e rim and which rim may be easily an quickly e anded back into place relative the tire.

emountin of the tire from the rim may be accompli ed by a blow given the tire o posite the hinged segment of the rim,

ereby throwing the hinged segment inwardly and collapsing the rim, and the rim may be expanded to its position relative the tire by inserting the same within'the tire and with thegfoot or hand forcing the hinged segment of the rim back into position, as will more fully appear in the specification and claims. In the dra Fi re l is a agmentary elevation show.- ing t e rigid link Amember connectin the meeting ends of separate segments o the rim. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same view shown in Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a plan of theconnectionbetween the opposite end of the hinged segment and the meeting end of the adjacentrim section. e5 Fig. i is a section taken on line ir-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the exible hinged connection.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken cn the line 5@ @-6 ci Fig. 3.

Fig. is a cross-section taken on the line -Z' of Fig. 2. y f Fig. 8 is an elevation ci a tire showing lpivoted se the rim in position and collapsed as shown in d otted outline.

Fig. 9 is a fra enta elevation of a modification ofl a exiblerliinge connection.

Flg: 10 is a section taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

I provide a rim formed of a luralit of sections `or segments, three being ere shown, connected together at their ends to form the com lete rim. One of the segments, prefer-a ly a short segment, is hin ed in positlon at one end by means of a lexi le hln adapted to hold such segment yielding y outwards so it will keep its position inthe rim, the rim being ex anded as shown in full lines in Fig. 8. It 1s possible, however, to -bring force to bear olf such short ent as to force the same in-l wardl co apsing the rim, as shown in dotte outline in 8.

Let a, b and c in icate the three rim se ments, w' being the short segment pivotaly su ported as above described. The tire 1s in cated as d.

The short segment a is hinged at one end to the meeting end of the adjacent rim segment b by' means of a rigid link member e. This link e is pivoted at one end to the segment b by means of a pin e2 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and at the other end the link is pivotally connected lwith segment a in a similar manner so as to permlt free movement of the link with reference to the meeting ends ef the adjacent rim segments it hinges to ether, as shown in Figs. i and 8 in dotte outline. The rim se ments are cut awa tov receive this li which lies Hush wit the under surface ci the rim which rests on the felice band, the pin bearings only being raised above the surface of the rim on the outer surface which abuts the tire, as shown in Fig. v6.

swing easily within the section of the rim 4The ends of the link are rounded so as to where it is pivoted sc as to assume the pcsition shown in dotted outline in Figs. i and 8. ,e

The opposite end of the pivotally sugported segment a is connected with t meeting end ci the adjacent rim'segment c by meanso'a exible joint or spring hinge which is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, cemprising two pieces, a coupling piece f beveled at the edges of the adjacent rim segments and being flush with such rim segments when the rim is ex anded, such couplin being shaped to fol ow the curvature of t e rim. A flat spring g is secured to such coupling by means of rivets g2 and lies adjacent t e lnner surface of the rim, overlapping the meeting ends of the adjacent r1m segments and so shaped as to lie flat against the surface of the rim se ments when the rim is expanded. When t e rim is collapsed, however, such segments are bent inwardly from such joint as a hinge and the sha of this flat sprin is such that the ends o the spring will aragainst the adjacent rim segments, exerting tension along the entire len th of the spring instead of only at its midd e point. The spring g is held firmly up against the under surface of the rim segments, the bevel ed es of the coupling engaging with the beve edges of the opening in the rim segments, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the smaller size of rim where there is not sulicient clearance between the'rim and the felloe band or where it is so desired this spring connection ma be made in one-piece as shown in the modified form, Figs. 9 and 10. In this form the spring and coupling are in one piece h and ears are provided to over'la the joint and the beveled edge of the piece engages with the beveled edge of the openings thru the rim and holds the same in place. This form is not considered to possess the stren th of the previously described construction. It will be seen that this yielding spring hinge will have the effect of holding the segment a yieldingly outward in its position in the expanded rim and therefore serves to hold the rim in its expanded relation and that the collapsing of the rim will be against the tension of this collapsible joint. However, when the rim has been collapsed suiliciently, or rather when the se ment a has been forced inwardly suficient y for the link e to pass the radius thru its pivot with the rim, the action of the spring will be such as to throw the link e forward to the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 8, thereby compelling the collapsing of the rim. The meeting ends of the segments a and b, where the rigid link is used, are beveled so as to come together easily. It is apparent that when the rim is collapsed it may be easily removed from the tire or inserted within the tire.

All that is necessary to expand the rim is ycarrying a tire is lifted a foot or two from the ground and drop ed with force against the ground striking t at portion of the tire adjacent the segment a the blow will have the eect of collapsing the rim.

When the 1'1m is again replaced within the tire the foot of the operator can be used to force the segment a back toward its expanded position until the link has progressed far enough to be brought under control of the spring tension of the hinge connection of segment a with segment c, when segment a wi l be thrown back into position.

As a preferred form of construction, the 'pint lo between segments b and c might well a spring joint similar to that described as existing between segments a and b. It is not necessary that the rim be formed in more than two se ments, but in order to provide greater flexi ilityv three are here used. v It will not be essential that this connection k be of the s ring type. A hinge type joint of any oft e conventional forms now used in rims will be suflicient, but the flexible hinge connection would seem to be preferable."

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible demountable resilient rim lcomprising a main rim portion and a segment pivotally connected thereto' to form with t e main rim portion a complete rim structure, a resilient member disposedV at the point of connection between said segment and the main rim member for normally maintaining said segment in an extended position and adapted to yield in the face of a sudden shock or abnormal ressune to collapse the segment, and a pivoted link connecting the ree end of the segment with the main rim portion to permit `an inward movement thereof.

2. A demountable collapsible rim, comprising a main rim portion and a segment pivoted thereto to form with said main rim portion a complete rim structure, means for pivoting the segment to the rim comprising a hinge member seated within apertures in said segment and rim member, a resilient element underlying the inner surface of a portion of said se ent and said main rim member to normal y retain the segment in an extended position in the absence of abnormal stresses, and means connecting the other end of the segment with the main rim member.

3. A demountable rim split into segments, means for connecting the segments at one end comprisin a coupling piece formed with connecting en portions, said cou ling iece being seated within socketsv in t e en s of said rim sections and havin beveled edges cooperating with oppositely l veled edges of the walls of the sockets and lying flush with the inner surface of the rim, means for holding said coupling piece in position, and a link pivoted at, each end to opposite ends of said segments.

4. A demountable rim split into segments,

lli

means for connecting the segments at one end comprising a coupling piece formed with coupling head portions, said coupling piece being seated within sockets in the ends of said rim sections and having beveled edges cooperating with oppositely beveled edges of the Walls of the sockets and lying flush with the inner and outer surface of said segments, a resilient memberv connected to the coupling piece and lying beneath the inner sur ace of the rim segments, and a link connecting the other end of said sections pivotally connected thereto.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

GEORGE SIFKOVITZ. 

